What Is The Moon In Astrology?
If you’re at all familiar with astrology, you probably know your sun sign, but did you know you have a moon sign, as well?
To the ancients, the sun and moon were the king and queen of the planets. The sun describes your goals and is the keeper of your life story. The moon describes what you need to be happy, your unconscious needs, your style of nurturing and self-care, what it looks like when you’re moody, and what home feels like.
In most monarchies, the king is more important than the queen. In astrology, the moon is just as important as the sun. The moon has a leadership role among the astrological planets as leader of the night sect, and if you were born at night, the moon is your leader, too.
Your Moon Sign: What You Need To Be Happy
Everyone wants to be happy, but what happiness looks like is different for everyone. Some people have an emotional need for attention, and others are terrified of the spotlight. Some people thrive on freedom, and other people need a structured routine.
Your moon sign can help you figure out the types of experiences you need to have in your life be happy.
Example: If you have the moon in Capricorn, you thrive in solitude. If your life is excessively full of social engagements, you’ll likely feel cranky, but an hour alone working on something that feels productive will boost your spirits.
How You Do Nurturing and Self-Care
When we were born, we came into the world helpless. Our earliest relationships were ones of care. The moon describes our relationship with the people who cared for us and the things we learned about self-care from them. Carole Taylor says the moon describes what makes you feel fed, literally or metaphorically.
Just like there are many ways of pursuing happiness, the way we take care of ourselves and others looks different depending on our moon sign. The moon tells you the kinds of self-care routines that are likely to be most effective.
Example: If you have the moon in Cancer, self-care is about taking care of your emotional needs. You benefit more than other signs from journaling practices and relationships that support you through difficult moods.
Unconscious Needs: The Things You Crave Without Thinking About It
If you’re old enough to read this article, you probably have a pretty good idea of who you are. Even if you don’t have an elevator pitch down, you have a good idea of what your needs are and how you are (or are not) getting them met.
In the early 20th century, psychologists noticed that people aren’t always as self-aware as we think we are. We want things sometimes without knowing the reasons why, and we often act from instinct and habit without thinking. They called the area of the mind that influences these behaviors the unconscious.
In her book Astrology: Using the Wisdom of the Stars in Your Everyday Life, Carole Taylor points out that just like the physical moon reflects the sun’s light, the astrological moon “takes a less prominent role in our conscious awareness than our solar goals.”
Example: I have the moon in Aquarius. Aquarius has a need for freedom and an aversion to authority. I like to think of myself as a team player, but the truth is that I instinctually shy away from situations where I will be expected to go along with the group.
What It Looks Like When You’re Moody
If you took notes on your mood every day and averaged it out over the course of your life, the result would look a lot like your moon sign. The moon describes your average mood, your personal default state.
Historically, this was called your temperament. The ancients talked in terms of four main temperaments: choleric, melancholic, sanguine, and phlegmatic. We might call those temperaments irritable, depressed, cheerful, and easy-going.
In astrology, there are twelve temperaments described by moon signs.
Example: If you have the moon in Leo, you have a sanguine temperament. You feel most yourself when you’re happy and playful, expressing yourself creatively, and making the people around you happy.
Are you more comfortable in a city apartment, or is your ideal home fifty miles from the nearest town?
Do you prefer to live by yourself, or would you be happiest in a party house?
The answers you give to questions like this correspond with your moon sign.
Example: If you have the moon in Libra, having a home that is aesthetically pleasing and harmonious is important to you. Relationships are an important part of self-care for you, so a space you couldn’t share with others is likely to make you uncomfortable.
What is your moon sign, and what does it tell you about how to get your needs met?
If you would like to spend some quality time getting to know the moon through the signs, I made a Moon Mood Journal, guided journal that helps you do just that.
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